Portrait of Enthusiasts

GAEC Les Falaises de Barjac
& Gîte Les Falaises
Patrick et Marie FAVIER

Meet Marie & Patrick

Date and place of birth:
Patrick was born on November 3, 1967 in Marvejols,
Marie was born on September 13, 1972, in Nîmes, but grew up in the Puy de Dôme.

Why did you choose to become a farmer?
I first practiced my profession in the hotel industry, then I made the choice to stop to take care of our children. Subsequently, in 2010, I took adult training in the agricultural sector in order to settle down with my husband.
Located not far from Mende, in the village of Barjac, our farm is specialized in breeding Brunes. Cows with a calm, curious and docile temperament. They are beautiful, and their dairy qualities are very good.

Why did you create a gîte (cottage)?
Our last project was to add a tourist activity on the farm, with the objectives of: to make known the profession of farmer, to put a foot in my profession, to rehabilitate the existing heritage and to make known the Lozère!
The cottage opened in June 2015 and bears the labels Gîtes de France and Tourisme et Handicap. It is an independent house with all modern comforts, in a quiet and green environment.

What are your plans?
In order to sustain our breeding, we have chosen to convert our farm to organic farming, which was approved in February 2018, after 18 months of conversion.
In parallel, in June 2016, we created a group of producers, the GIE Saveur Lozère, to collect and process our Brunette cow milk into 4 varieties of cheeses, distributed on the Lozère and surrounding area.

Why did you come to Lozère?
I arrived in Lozère in 1998, following our meeting.
For Patrick, it seems unthinkable to leave the Lozère, he took over the family farm in 1991, following a vocation born from childhood.

For me, the Lozère

For my part, I really like this wild side, this diversity of landscapes around Mende, the immensity of the Aubrac or the Causse Méjean, the vertigo of the Gorges du Tarn and the warmth of walks in forests or by lakes.
Nature in all its splendour.

Marie Favier

Learn more about Marie and Patrick
their activities and productions